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‘Public relations exercise’ Odegaard linked with Liverpool move

Martin Odegaard: Signed for Real from Stromsgodset

Liverpool have been linked with a fresh move for long-term target Martin Odegaard – and a man who Carlo Ancelotti admitted was signed by Real Madrid as a ‘public relations exercise’.

Norwegian Odegaard was once one of Europe’s most-coveted youngsters, with Real eventually beating Liverpool, Ajax and a number of other elite clubs to the then-16-year-old’s signature.

The teenager had been pictured visiting Liverpool’s Melwood training ground before his move from Stromgodset, with Odegaard claiming he was a life-long Reds fan.

Although his eventual arrival at Real was met with much fanfare and excitement, he has endured a difficult time, making only one first-team appearance, and struggling to have an enduring impact at youth levels.

Writing in his latest autobiography, Ancelotti, who was manager of the Spanish side at the time of the signing, has described it as a ‘public relations exercise’.

‘When Florentino (Perez) buys a Norwegian footballer, you simply have to accept it,’ Ancelotti wrote in Quiet Leadership, as quoted in AS. ‘Furthermore, the president decided that he would play three games with the first team as a public relations exercise.

‘He could be the best player in the world, but I don’t care because he was not a player who I asked for. That signing was to do with PR.’

With Odegaard’s continued struggles in Madrid, Liverpool have emerged as contenders for his signature.

The Liverpool Echoreport the latest rumours, which claim Jurgen Klopp is interested in the midfielder, and has made an initial enquiry for his services.